Transforming your thermal car into an electric car is possible with retrofitting

By Alexandra Segond Published onNewsSee my news

Do you want to go electric but you refuse to let your old car go? Do you want to opt for a cleaner mode of transport but are hesitant to invest in a new car? Be aware that there is a compromise, which is called retrofitting.

Authorized by law since April 2020, the principle is simple: it involves transforming your thermal vehicle into an electric vehicle by changing its engine. How it works ? How much does it cost ? Is it reliable? Here is what this process consists of.

Also read

From gasoline or diesel to electric

"Retrofitting" your vehicle means, in a simplified version, replacing the heat engine (gasoline or diesel) of a vehicle with an electric motor powered by by batteries or fuel cells.

In concrete terms, once the vehicle has been deposited in a specialized workshop or in a partner garage, the elements linked to the operation of the powertrain (spark plugs, engine, exhaust pipe, tanks, etc.) are removed, explains Aymeric Libeau, founder of the Transition-One retrofit company. The electrical components (batteries and motor) are then integrated into the car.

Depending on the type of vehicle, the transformation time can take from a few hours to several days. Once everything is in place, the vehicle must still be tested to see if the standards are met and that the retrofit is effective. If everything is good, you can collect your freshly electric vehicle.

Also read

Reducing its ecological footprint

The objective of retrofitting is fully in line with the ecological transition, since it involves reducing its atmospheric footprint by reducing its CO2 and fine particle emissions. And as the car no longer consumes oil, we preserve the (meager) world reserves of fossil energy.

This idea of ​​clean mobility can also include eco-design, “so that there are no CO2 emissions in the production of our products”, continues Aymeric Libeau. "And converting, it avoids the production of a car", adds Wadie Maaninou, the co-founder of the start-up Phoenix Mobility, specializing in the retrofitting of utility cars.

Also read

From “reasonable retrofit to the end”

As for the parts removed from the combustion engine car, here too, we remain on "reasonable retrofit". The components belong first to the owner of the vehicle, it is in his right to recover them if he wishes. "If he doesn't want them, he can leave them with us to upgrade them," says Wadie Maaninou.

Otherwise, "what we extract from the car, we will either put it in the reuse sector (by reusing it for example for a car incompatible with retrofitting because it requires too much autonomy in kilometers), or make it recondition, or melt it down to recover the material for recycling”, quotes Aymeric Libeau.

Same thing on the electrical side. Once too old, the batteries can be reused, elsewhere in the automotive sector but also outside, for example for solar panels or wind turbines.

Also read

Three times cheaper than a new vehicle

Beyond that, the savings will be seen after the retrofit. The average cost of recharging an electric car is 2.5 euros for 100 km of autonomy, compared to 8 euros for a thermal car, abounds Phoenix Mobility on its site.

By converting your car to electric, “it costs you two to three times less than buying an electric vehicle of the same range”, continues Wadie Maaninou. Not to mention the fuel expenditure which will also decrease.

Also read

Converting your car, is it reliable?

Converting your car yes, but not just anyhow. First, the retrofit is governed by a government decree dated March 13, 2020. Before developing a "conversion kit", there are 12 months of development and approval before obtaining final approval and marketing. , believes Wadie Maaninou.

Then, there is no question of changing the standards of the vehicle: the power, the weight or even the distribution of the masses remain the same, for example. "It's a super intrusive transformation, we're not going to change a tire", conceives the co-founder of Phoenix Mobility.

Finally, to be authorized to drive, any vehicle must absolutely be homologated: “Any retrofitter must go through the homologation box. To be able to obtain it, it is therefore necessary to scrupulously respect a text of law which tells us in a very strict way to respect such a standard for the batteries, such a standard for the braking devices. And this regardless of the age of the vehicle.

Also read

Several conditions to meet

There are as many contacts as there are types of vehicles. Where Transition-One focuses on light cars ("those for home-work journeys, vehicles for communities or urban communities or the 'small car', the second car at home which should not be expensive and should be easy to move”, enumerates Aymeric Libeau), Phoenix Mobility has bet on utility vehicles when other retrofitters are attacking two-wheelers or 2CVs.

To qualify for the retrofit, several conditions must still be met. To begin with, the vehicle must be a car or a bus (category M of the Highway Code), a van or a truck (category N), a two or a three-wheeler (category L). So-called collector's cars are excluded from the retrofit.

The vehicle you want to convert must then be in good condition (with a favorable technical inspection), and be registered in France in a definitive series. Its date of first registration must be at least five years prior to the date of its conversion (M and N categories) and at least three years for L categories.

Are you interested? Do not hesitate to explore the Internet to determine your needs and those of your vehicle. Some professionals even offer simulators.

Also read

State aid

Going electric, however, comes at a price. It all depends on the type of car you want to convert. Transition-One estimates the electric conversion of a vehicle at around 15,000 euros (excluding state aid), while Phoenix Mobility can increase the bill to more than 20,000 euros.

The amount still makes you shudder? Note that the retrofit is included in the national conversion bonus. Thus, since 1^st June 2020, you can receive up to 5,000 euros in aid (depending on your reference tax income). Not to mention that you are also eligible for the ecological bonus (1,000 euros).

Some regions and/or communities have also introduced aid to promote retrofit offers. “Sometimes there are also flash grants – for three months for example – from Ademe or organizations helping communities,” says Wadie Maaninou.

Also read

Making retrofitting affordable is essential. “The biggest obstacle in the electrification of the vehicle fleet is the price and the lack of vehicle entertainment. With the retrofit, we break the cost of access to the electric vehicle”, continues Wadie Maaninou. “You have to think about a citizen approach,” concludes Aymeric Libeau.

Was this article useful to you? Note that you can follow Actu in the My Actu space. In one click, after registration, you will find all the news of your favorite cities and brands.

Share